Stephie at Five, by Grandma Julie

Five years old is a wonderful age, it’s neither big nor small. 

You’re not a baby anymore.  And you’re really getting tall!

You want your independence and can do most things alone.

You dress yourself and make your bed and text me on your phone.

Your confidence and self-esteem are growing every day. 

I’ll let you take some chances and I won’t get in your way. 

I’ll make a cage around you when you walk up on a wall.

I promise I won’t touch you, but I don’t want you to fall.

You like to brush your own hair now.   You pick out your own clothes.

You choose your hairstyles, headbands, bows, and colors for your toes.

You want to do the stairs yourself which really makes me nervous.

I try to stay right next to you and hope that you don’t notice.

Sometimes when we are on a walk you really want to run.

And going very, very fast is an awful lot of fun.

I hope that you won’t mind if you run right next to me.

I’d love to catch you if you fall before you scrape your knee.

Now sometimes when I visit you don’t notice right away,

If you’re coloring or doing crafts, absorbed in work or play.

Then you’ll look up and run to me and climb up on my knee

And put your cheek right next to mine and say that you love me.

And I still give you potty treats though you’ve done that for years.

When you fall down or get a shot you still dissolve in tears.

But you’re brave enough to play piano in front of a large crowd.

And you will sing your songs and poems and read to us aloud.

 You’re still our same sweet Stephie at this brand new age of five.

And everyone who loves you is thrilled to see you thrive.

And when we watch you read and write, we can’t help saying “Wow”!

We celebrate you growing up!  You’re such a big girl now!